A widely tunable RF MEMS end-coupled filter

Author

Kraus, Garth M. ; Goldsmith, Charles L. ; Nordquist, Christopher D. ; Dyck, Christopher W. ; Finnegan, Patrick S. ; Austin, Franklin, IV ; Muyshondt, Arnoldo ; Sullivan, Charles T.

Author_Institution

Sandia Nat. Labs., Albuquerque, NM, USA

Volume

2

fYear

2004

fDate

6-11 June 2004

Firstpage

429

Abstract

A three-pole tunable end-coupled filter from 6 to 10 GHz was developed with a broad 35% tuning range. This tuning range was realized by switching distributed loading structures with radio frequency microelectromechanical systems (RF MEMS) capacitive switches. By tuning the coupling capacitors as well as the loading capacitors, the filter achieved a constant fractional bandwidth of 15±0.3% and an insertion loss ranging from 3.3 dB to 3.8 dB over the entire band. Digital switching ensured good thermal stability, and microstrip transmission lines provided lower insertion loss than with coplanar waveguide. Future improvements are expected to decrease the insertion loss to below 2.1 dB.

Keywords

band-pass filters; coupled transmission lines; microstrip filters; microstrip lines; microswitches; microwave filters; microwave switches; 3.3 to 3.8 dB; 6 to 10 GHz; RF MEMS capacitive switches; broad tuning range; coplanar waveguide; coupling capacitor; digital switch; distributed loading structures; fractional bandwidth; insertion loss; microstrip transmission line; radio frequency microelectromechanical systems; thermal stability; three pole tunable RF MEMS end-coupled filter; Bandwidth; Capacitors; Couplings; Filters; Insertion loss; Microstrip; Radiofrequency microelectromechanical systems; Switches; Thermal stability; Tuning;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Microwave Symposium Digest, 2004 IEEE MTT-S International

ISSN

0149-645X

Print_ISBN

0-7803-8331-1

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/MWSYM.2004.1336001

Filename

1336001